Buzzfeed:

A senior executive at Uber suggested that the company should consider hiring a team of opposition researchers to dig up dirt on its critics in the media — and specifically to spread details of the personal life of a female journalist who has criticized the company.

The executive was Uber Senior VP of Business Emil Michael and, according to the story, the female journalist was Sarah Lacey, who wrote this story for PandoDaily, an op-ed piece that excoriated Uber and its policies.

Michael’s remarks, assuming the story is true, were foolish and chilling, especially given the high profile nature of the crowd at the dinner.

Michael, who has been at Uber for more than a year as its senior vice president of business, floated the idea at a dinner Friday at Manhattan’s Waverly Inn attended by an influential New York crowd including actor Ed Norton and publisher Arianna Huffington. The dinner was hosted by Ian Osborne, a former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron and consultant to the company.

And before you dismiss the story as Buzzfeed hearsay, there were several journalists invited to the dinner, including a Buzzfeed editor, so this appears to be first hand reporting.